


Monochrome Princess - a C2 fic

by i_eat_fragments



Category: Cytus (Video Games)
Genre: >:), Collaboration, Developing Relationship, F/F, HAROLD THEY'RE LESBIANS, Mutual Pining, No Incest, PrayForPAFF'sSanity, Shoujo-ai, Singing, Some angst, Spoilers, fluff??, good end continuation, hehe arcaea reference, kpop allegory, necessary character development, neko finally gets gf?, not too relationship focused, wtf is hayato's personality, yeah there's still mono fans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:15:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25356832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_eat_fragments/pseuds/i_eat_fragments
Summary: There's a lot of things happening right now.For one, Mono would not stop begging PAFF to perform for them, even though her contract is terminated, and she can't refuse. Additionally, PAFF is finally finding herself begin to crumble, despite her promise to use music to spread courage.Additionally, Neko's foundation is in need of help, and she finds herself overworking herself to provide help, for everyone. But it all goes unnoticed. She also wants to move out one day, but she has a younger brother to care for. And she doesn't feel like a good enough friend to either Linda or Xenon.There are also Hayato's unrequited feelings for Kaori, and she can't turn him down before he even confesses. And the Eye of Horus power has not disappeared yet.And a secret beneath it all.I wanted to write this story, mostly, to flesh out our main characters' personalities. I wanted to have an inside view on the characters' minds, and the events post-canon. (PAFF's flaws and Neko's strengths will also be expanded on a little, to provide a bit more balance.)And you're reading through it all.
Relationships: Asakura Neko | NEKO#ΦωΦ/Aroma White | Paff
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. Abandoned Princess

_702_04_22, 1917_

_cyTus_system_

Mono had replaced her.

PAFF was sitting on a small stool, backstage, with a glass of cold, slightly off-tasting water (she wasn't sure that it was very good for her voice). Funnily enough, her pre-performance anxiety was...lower than usual. _They came for the new group's debut, not for me.  
I can't let anyone down._ It was a feeling she couldn't really quite shake, the fear of slipping up onstage. Or even, literally slipping onstage. She rubbed her eyes.

She wondered why Mono kept asking her to perform for them (more with them, maybe). Despite herself, she gave up on being an "idol" due to her sister's exhaustion, her mental health, and Neko constantly urging her to quit. And now, here she was again, with her hair out and faux stabilisers, because of a social obligation. She was too shy to back down. PAFF started rubbing her temples in an effort to calm down.

Looking at the poster of new girl group of 7, she didn't look down upon them. They were in fact quite nice, although kind of aloof and seemed almost stuck-up, but she must've been the same. In fact, she felt a pang of reminiscence from her debut. And she wondered how long it would be before they broke down. Funny enough, she was dressed in only shades of grey, and the group was called Chrome or something.

"Aroma, you're coming onstage in a minute. You're ready, right?" Helena asked as she came into sight. To respond, PAFF simply nodded.  
"Oh, your eyeliner's a bit messy. I'll just fix it." Helena moistened a Q-tip with some water and rubbed her eyelids, before carefully re-drawing it. "Alright, let's go."

She walked onstage. Although it was all digital, the sheer amount of people, and well, usernames, scared Kaori. (Kaori. Huh.)

"AND FOR OUR OPENING ACT, PLEASE WELCOME OUR FORMER IDOL, PAFF!"

As long as she didn't mess up. She'd been singing her song for this performance, More than Diamond, over and over again. She should be alright.  
The lights brightened, and she was given the signal.

For the first few words, she was focused on not messing up. But eventually it faded.

 _"オーロラより鮮やかに  
_ _胸の奥 色づいてく"_

She lost herself in the song. Somehow, it felt nostalgic...as all songs from either of her childhoods did.  
Hayato had written this song. He was quite a fast learner, a younger brother she was incredibly proud of. Neither Aroma nor Kaori really enjoyed composing songs, probably because she was not as good, although writing lyrics was another story. Hayato did do everything for this one though, although her sister altered it for the stage.

_"I-I gotta be stronger than a diamond~"_

The crowd cheered as the instrumental came, but it was noticeably quieter than when she performed independently, or even in the past. Could it really be that she had been surpassed that quickly?  
PAFF pushed the thought out of her head and immersed herself with the music. It was slightly more traditionally Node 03 music than she thought, but she kinda liked the blend.  
When she was singing, she could forget about everything. Who she was, _everything concerning Vanessa_ , Grandma Feng dying, Mono replacing her, the fear of dying on the streets before she was taken in... it all faded away to the beat of the song.

She may have gone a little too far though, because she ended up coming in again a whole beat late. She had less time to pause between each line now, and her heart beat rapidly. The second "Like a more than a diamond" was slightly rushed.

_"Like a more than a diamond...oh, oh~"_

The audience applauded, and for that one second, PAFF felt truly content. Whatever part of the performance they were clapping for, she was happy. She smiled, bowed, and walked offstage.

[>>Fast forward: 2 min>>]

She could still hear the audience cheering.

"Do you want to go back home, PAFF? You look tired."

"I think I'll stay...just a bit longer...it's been a long day."

"Well, if you'd rather stay, you can. We could also watch from the audience."

"I'm fine, I guess."  
Aroma couldn't really stop herself from smiling, simply at her sister's care. "I think I...screwed up..." she admitted.

"What? Aroma, where?"

"I...if you really...okay." She couldn't really get the words out. "I came in late."

"Really!? I didn't... Don't worry about it. You're PAFF. The audience can't really tell anyway."

"Okay."

In the background, she heard, "WELCOME TO MONOCON 703! TODAY, WE HAVE A NEW GROUP DEBUTING...CHR0MAT1C!"  
The song began. It, surprisingly, turned into something like rock music in maybe the second measure.

_Why do I recognise this? It reminds me of Cherry or Xenon's style somehow...ah..._

And then one of the singers came in.

"Wake up,  
can you hear the gravity..."

Immediately PAFF's eyes widened. This was...this was... a demo...but...she remembered...

"I want to go home," she said.

"Now?" Helena confirmed.

PAFF nodded. "I'm...I'm sorry. I just..."

"No, it's okay. I think I'd rather, anyway."

"Thank you, sister."  
[Helena_White has disconnected.]  
[PAFF has disconnected.]

* * *

_702_04_22, 1730_

_Helena's residence_

PAFF scrolled through iM. "Oh, CHR0MAT1C...I'm not really jealous of them. I'm not... well. I kinda feel sorry for them."

"Oh, why was that you wanted to leave? You had that look of shock, I suppose?" her sister inquired.

"That song... that was meant for CherryPuNK." She closed her eyes. "...the camera files...they keep coming. But it's like a dream. I can never quite pinpoint what is happening unless I'm watching it. So I heard the demo and... I... I'm so sorry for leaving so early! That was really rude!"

Sis Helena was taking none of it. "Aroma, it's a concert. Besides, Mono doesn't need you anymore. You are still topping the charts with your new songs."

Aroma nodded. "I mean...if you really say so..."  
She thought for a second. "Sis Helena, is Tuner-san charged right now?"

"Ah. Yes, it should be." Helena yawned. "You have another performance scheduled tomorrow, 8pm. Oh, and Saturday night, you're meeting up with Hayato for a performance in Street 10. He's going to pay for dinner." Her sister paused. "You know what, I'm going to take you to that fancy coffee shop, and then we can go to the arcade for a day so you can do your Tetris thing. Not that I'm going in there. I really don't need my self-esteem ruined...for the fiftieth time..."

PAFF giggled. "Ah... I guess the only reason I got good was because I didn't realise how bad I was. And then you started playing, and it took so long to beat you at first."

"...We don't talk about that."

* * *

**[iM]**

[Post by Chromatic01_Official]   
**Hello! We are CHR0MAT1C, Monophobic's latest girl group!  
**We are making our debut with a bang, and we have members from around the world!  
Charlie (Charlotte Sallow)-Node 13: Maknae, sub-vocal  
Hikari (Matsumura Hiroko)-Node 03: Main dancer, rapper, sub-vocal  
0  
Raina (Lorraine Smith)-Node 08: Rapper, visual, centre  
Mina (Matsumura Miyuki)-Node 03: Lead vocalist, main dancer  
Ari (Albina Nicoledi)-Node 48: Leader, lead dancer  
Ti (Christina Park)-Node 04: Main rapper, dancer  
1  
Chia (Takahashi Chihiro)-Node 03: Lead rapper, main vocalist

~~Jojo (Joe Miller)-Node 69: This, was, a, mistake.~~

We look forward to performing for you!

[Post by NEKO#ΦωΦ]  
Jesus Mono you're so desperate for someone to replace @PAFF aren't you  
NEKO is not a fan of the pun!!!! p(●｀□´●)q  
Also aroma/kaori we should really stop saying we're gonna collab and not actually doing it rotflmao

[Post by Overtale]  
Everyone, let's just be thankful that iM is stable again  
I need to slepp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the pacing's interesting to say the least.  
> Writing from PAFF's perspective was...different. She's quite unsure, and is very introspective about stuff. _Like, stop thinking so I can progress the plot lmao._  
>  The story will pick up soon!


	2. Arcaea I MEAN ARCADE WTF

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neko arcade time...  
> feat. Tetris, ripoff SDVX and PAFF

**[iM]**

[Private message from PAFF]  
<3

[Post by SThakker]  
Anyone know where you can get plants in 03?? Asking for a friend

[Reply from C01_Mina] the edges of the quadrants have good wild plants  
[Reply from PAFF] There's a florist on Dragon St! Last time I checked, it was still open ^^. Wild lavender is always a good idea~  
[Reply from 0584_X] Thank you, Sagar.  
[Reply from SThakker] You weren't meant to be here! >:(  
[Reply from polymous_] gud job sagar cane

[NEKO#ΦωΦ is now streaming]  
_NEKO stream time (✯◡✯)_

* * *

_703_04_25, 1340_

_St_10_Arcade_

"HELLO EVERYBODY!! NEKO is back! Today..."  
Elegant pause... "We are at the arcade NEKO spent a lot of her childhood in! Not exactly sure what games we'll play, but NEKO is very excited!" She beamed.

[Reply from uwu] YAS ARCADE STREAM FINALLY  
[TreeNoAlice has donated 1250¥ to the stream!] I'm interested!  
[Reply from SancTityKnight] why does she always use 3rd person?  
[EvilForce has donated 500¥ to the stream!] gl hf

"Thanks for the donations, Alice and Evil force! Anyway...we are going to start with a classic even older than boomer-sensei~ That's right, Tetris!"  
[Reply from ConneR] I do not understand.  
[Reply from NEKO#ΦωΦ] get off my stream, you need skincare.

"Hehehe~ anyway... let's go. NEKO really only plays rhythm games at the arcade, so excuse me."  
Tetris did not need a coin, so she could play all day for free. "Maybe Neko can just stream this all day..." she murmured. She could pay nothing, but still earn from donations! (Stupid ARC taking 10% from the little she had already.)  
The coloured tetrominos fell quite slowly. Make rows. That was it. Oh, she could speed up the individual blocks with the down button! 

[Reply from NEKO#ΦωΦ] Does anyone know how to make this faster? NEKO bored -_-  
[Reply from C01_Hikari] I think the speed increases as you play, but you can increase the start speed  
"Ok! Thanks for the advice, carbon...monoxide?" Neko loaded up a new game, set the speed to 5, and started playing again.  
One row...  
two...  
three... she needed an L block to clear two rows...okay that was next...

[PAFF has donated 5000¥ to the stream!] Ah, Tetris gives me good memories ^^. I can even beat sis now  
[Reply from CeLiA] OH MY GOD IS THAT—  
[Reply from TreeNoAlice] it's her!  
[Reply from PAFF] Haha I'm actually near the arcade rn...should I join?

"Hm....can NEKO slow down this piece? just need to think for a sec..." She pressed the up button, and the tetromino teleported to on top of her two rows. She immediately slammed pause.  
"WHAT. NO. F---ING GAME! THAT'S THE UP BUTTON! NO! YOU CAN'T—"  
Now, she couldn't clear the rows.

[Reply from fujingrumble] noob. retarded noob (This user is now banned.)

 _Breathe, Asakura Neko._ "Okay, let's continue."

[>>Fast forward: 5min>>]  
"F---!" The tiles had reached the top.  
[Reply from NEKO#ΦωΦ] Ah, that was fun. And stress inducing. #NEKOTruth

There was quite a commotion in the chat. Neko hoped she had managed to ban the people who called her a noob.  
[n0t_n00b has donated 40000¥ to the stream!] send feet pics (This user is now banned.)  
[fujingrumble has donated 100¥ to the stream!] donating so I can bypass the ban for a bit also your pretty gud for a noob (This user is still banned.)  
_Okay, that was a bit funny._ Huh? 5 private message notifs were coming at once.

[Private message from PAFF]  
If you don't mind, is it okay if I could join your stream? Today's kinda chill for me, thought I might visit a cafe and the arcade...  
If you don't mind, of course!  
I just thought it'd be fun to try streaming for a while...  
plus, I've been playing tetris for a long time ^^  
with Sis Helena  
since my debut  
I remember this arcade? I'm not sure  
it's been a while...  
ah...

[Private message sent to PAFF]  
geez you actually talk a lot  
please do 

She cleared her throat. "Okay. My friend Aroma-chan just PMed me! She'll be joining NEKO's stream very..."  
Neko looked back, and blushed. "Ok. Well...that was fast. PAFF, say hello!"  
Aroma-chan just smiled shyly.

[Reply from PAFF] Hello!   
"Well," PAFF said, "C-can I try?" Neko nodded her head vigorously.

"Hmm, the starting speed is kinda slow..." Aroma-chan mused, changing the speed from 5 to 9. "Okay..."

[>>Fast forward: 15 min>>]

"JESUS CHRIST. How are you still going?"  
The colourful blocks were falling so fast Neko could hardly keep up. At this point, her arms were wrapped around PAFF's waist, looking over her shoulder.

[CyKa donated 2000¥ to the stream!] I can legit just watch PAFF play this for hours and I'll never get bored  
[Reply from Manbora] I ship—

PAFF didn't respond, and she had the eyes of determination she always had since, well, she met Hayato. _Hayato...I don't really want to think about it..._ Although the blocks neared the top, Aroma-chan could still clear several Tetris-es.

Well, until another L-block ruined everything again. _Why this time? Aroma-chan is actually good at this game!_ Unlike Neko, PAFF just sighed, but Neko could see from her expression that she was furious.  
"Aroma-chan's a pro!" Neko chimed. "Wait, uhh~ NEKO knows you said you were more comfortable as PAFF, so, um..."

PAFF's eyes softened. "Not...really...I-I guess..." She laughed and went a bit pink. "You can call me what you want, I don't really mind! Sis calls me Aroma, Hayato-kun calls me Kaori..."

"Well, you seem to like PAFF better, so PAFF-chan it is! I know the name was probably by... _Mono_...but..."

[uwu has donated 1000¥ to the stream!] Well, what's next?  
[Reply from NEKO#ΦωΦ] I'll stop the stream for now~~You can all have a snacc~

[PAFF has disconnected]  
[NEKO#ΦωΦhas disconnected]  
[>>Fast forward: 5 min>>]

 _Milk bread is soft~ Ah, this is so nice..._ She had finished her half, although she still was a little hungry. Not that she could have eaten that much, anyway. She had to save up, if she wanted to move out soon.

Neko watched PAFF slowly tear apart strands of the sweet, squishy bread and slowly eating it, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at her cooking.  
"Uh...I-I really, really like it..." PAFF said, quietly. "It's...it's kind of nostalgic...even though I didn't have this kind in 03...huh...did I?"

"It's okay!" Neko replied, quickly. "If-if you want, NEKO can make some more food whenever~ Oh! Maybe I could make a stream of that! I'm not particularly good at cooking though, I kinda just have to for my family..."  
PAFF-chan's eyes were...distant. Her eyes looked like she was...anticipating something? Neko wondered why she was so often introspective, staring off into the distance over something like _fucking_ _bread._ Seemingly a perfect, yet anxious physical angel. _Is she really human...? NEKO wouldn't be surprised if she were a robot. What, Unit PAFF?_

"You could sell this at a bakery," Aroma said, eyes glassy. "It's, I love it."

"NEKO is happy you like it! PAFF-chan looks sad though..."

PAFF shook her head slightly, but Neko continued. "Do you want a hug?" to which the response was a single head nod. She took solace in not thinking too much about the financial side of things, and comforting her friend...that she could always do.

And in all honesty she needed a hug as well.

Eventually, PAFF spoke again, her voice nothing more than a whisper. "You know...Mono asked me to perform for them again..."

"They WHAT!?"

[>>Fast forward: 20 min>>]

[NEKO#ΦωΦ is now streaming] _Arcade time~ (ft. PAFF-chan)_

"Welcome back~! It's NEKO!! We played Tetris in the morning..."  
PAFF giggled in the background. "Y-yep..."  
"...and this afternoon we will play one of NEKO's rhythm game favourites! That's right, Sound Boltex!"

[uwu has donated 2000¥ to the stream!] SOUND BOTLEX AWESOME (neko pls notice mee)  
[Reply from C01_Hikari] stahp

It was actually quite entertaining watching Aroma-chan attempting the tutorial (and getting a full combo, _of course she did_ ). Although, at some points, it was hard to not think, _Wow, noob._ Not that she actually did. PAFF was very good for a newcomer.

"Okay! Now, PAFF-chan has gotten a hang of the game! Now, let's do a LEVEL 18 song by Neko's friend Ropohead—Dasein!"  
The look on Aroma's face was nothing apart from unadulterated horror. Her mouth ajar, her face paralysed from shock. 

"Oh! Don't worry~ You only have to do the laser knob things. Let NEKO handle the rest!"

[AM_games donated 1450¥ to the stream!] I love this game a lot. Haven't been to the arcade in a while though

"O-okay!"

They quickly arranged themselves, Neko standing closer to the screen, and PAFF on the outside. She hadn't realised how warm it was until now.

[>>Fast forward: 6 min>>]

Neko tried to keep her face from falling at the results screen. "A!" she said. "That's not bad! Although I hope I can Full Combo again later on."  
Her disappointment showed a little in her voice, however. More with herself than with PAFF.

"I...you don't look too happy. I don't really..." PAFF -chan seemed to falter. "I don't want to continue. I'd rather watch you play. I-I'm not that good!"

"Aww, come on, you just have to practise! In...In all honesty though, you look a bit scared. It's alright."

Although, the viewers couldn't watch them talk forever, she figured. "All right, that's okay. Now, it's HARDCORE GAMER MODE~~!"

She selected the next song: Brain Power.  
This was going to be fun.

[>>Fast forward: 1 hr>>]

"Now, NEKO knows this was relatively short for an arcade stream, but that's ok-dokie! Muuuu~ bye!"  
And next to her, PAFF-chan smiled and waved.

[Reply from uwu] bye bye  
[Reply from KiwaHu] Well, that was interesting.  
[Reply from iluvpuf] aaaaaaa bai

[End stream]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, another chapter. My apologies for the rather slow upload rate.  
> This one is mildly more fluffy, although I don't want this to be too much of a fluff fic. Still, who can argue with arcade bonding.  
>  ~~Also enjoy a very rare cameo of Sagar on iM that will never, ever happen again.~~


	3. Reunion (duo blade against)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Jesus, not another performance.  
> Featuring: Hayato having a crush on who PAFF ~used to be~  
> tw: implied nonconsensual kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi.  
> So, I'm kinda experimenting with her voice here, and this story isn't very good, and there isn't much yuri in this chapter (I'm sowwy >.<)  
> It's been awhile, enjoy.

**[iM]**

[Post by PAFF]  
I hope all of you enjoyed the stream ^^ I'll be performing a few songs tonight as well, Street 10! Any requests?

[Reply from uwu] SO IN LOVE  
[Reply from glasschaos] hmmm, Inspiration is jazzy  
[Reply from TreeNoAlice] I personally like KANATA a lot  
[Reply from CyKa] I'd say Gravity, but...hmm... Aesir... More than Diamond was so good! change is one of my all-time faves  
[Reply from PAFF] Ok, I'll do all of them! Also, uhh...

[Post by RISA]  
I wonder if there could be more OPCI units out there... what if they attack again?

* * *

_703_04_25, 1923_

_St_10_Cafe_Chaos_

"H-Hayato...?" PAFF's voice wavered as she spoke. Another concert, huh? Not even the safety of the cyTus system was here now.

There was a clattering of drink glasses as Hayato stood up at his table. She made her way to the small round table, smiling. When was the last time she smiled like this?  
Oh, yeah, earlier today. Tetris.  
But that was different. Neko was a... a... Neko...friend? either way, Neko wasn't family. Hayato was...no, is! Hayato _is_ her brother.

How could anything be better than seeing family again? Even now, she only saw Hayato during performances and rehearsals and recording sessions. But, either way... She couldn't stop beaming as she sat down.

"I've brought the launchpad and speakers. I don't know how to use it," and _I don't want to fail when I start to learn_ , her inner voice chimed, "b-but we can do pre-made instrumentals! You..have your guitar, right?"

Hayato reached over and held her hand. "Of course, Kaori."

PAFF wasn't sure why, but she immediately felt...sick. "P-please, Hayato, I'm PAFF now. I'm not, I'm neither Aroma or Kaori. And, I-I'm still performing as PAFF, even as a street performer."

Hayato only held her hand tighter. "No, no. It's fine. But to me, you're always beloved Kaori, and nothing's going to change that."

She tried to prevent herself from sighing. Beloved?   
"I-I'm excited to perform." Her shivering hand relaxed. She wasn't going to be able to prise it away. Her brother wouldn't let her. But with her other hand, she rubbed her left temple in circles. _Please, this is weird. Was he like this before? Oh, god, the performance. It's okay, I've practised. Come on, PAFF._ She didn't even notice the waiter.

"Ah! Second time today. PAFF! and the guy who harassed her on the news!" The waiter said, smiling.

PAFF couldn't help giggle at Hayato's scowl. "He's my little brother, actually. Adopted, but whatever."

"Oh," they mused. "That makes sense. Well, I can see why you'd be excited to find your long-lost sister. So..." The waiter gestured to the menu board behind the counter, "What may I get you?"

"I-I, uh, a bowl of miso soup. Hayato?"

"I'll take what the lady has."

PAFF stifled a chuckle.

[Signal Lost]

* * *

_703_04_25, 2000_

_Street10_

"A-alright." A bead of sweat formed on PAFF's forehead. There were more people than she thought. She'd never given such a big performance with Hayato. Yes, there were the digital stuff, but...wow. At least she couldn't see all the usernames, which helped her anxiety, but...

"This is a lot of people," Hayato stated. "Wow, Kaori, this is it! The music world!"  
PAFF nodded.

"Okay, testing, m-mic check...  
Hello, everyone! Th-this is our performance! You can l-leave tips if you wish, and thank you v-very much for those who have already!" PAFF said. Her voice sounded loud in the microphone, resounding through the speakers.  
"Uh...so, our first song, as requested, is Inspiration!"

Hayato pressed a button and got his guitar ready. PAFF set the compression to +10.  
And without further ado, she sang. Ah, performances were tiring, but an escape.

 _"When I think about what I have and I realise  
__My life is filled with music, dream of love~"  
  
_[>>Fast forward: 2 min>>]

There was applause; PAFF realised this was probably more applause than Hayato had heard his entire life. She smiled at him.  
She realised a bit too late that the sound of the music was a bit too loud. _Don't panic. It's okay, it's alright, just turn it down...what if I disappointed them?_  
PAFF turned the volume down.

"O-our next song, was a collab with NEKO...I d-d-don't really know how to pronounce the face. Unfortunately, she isn't available now, so she can't live-mix, and we have a premix instead. This song is called M-Make U mine!"  
_That's a lie_ , she thought. _I'm just too scared to burden her. That'd be too much. I-I can't even make a simple song on the piano anymore without help._ She could almost laugh at herself. _You might disappoint the people though, if it's just like this. God, just, why can't you ask her out?  
__Wait. What?  
I- God, PAFF, think straight. Why can't you just ask her? Aren't all these people disappointed?  
Did I really have to say that though?  
Why am I so twitchy tonight? I'm... the old Kaori wouldn't be scared... this doesn't make any sense.  
__Ah, maybe I shouldn't have gone to the arcade._

The song started sooner than she expected.

_"I'm here right now,  
just give me a sign we could be something bad  
Wondering why, can't you tell me?  
I'm the real me,  
All I wanna do is make you mine~"  
_

This song...even though it was only from a month ago, it still made her feel happy in a nostalgic sort of way. Not in the way Asian music did, but...even faking being an idol (he had a mental flash about CHR0MAT1C, then stopped herself) gave her a sense of security. 

Before it was taken away.  
Before she took it away from _herself._

PAFF simply vibed to the instrumental. The premix was pretty good, but she couldn't judge. How would she be an accurate judge? She was only talented at singing, and tetris, and playing three songs on the piano. What was even the point of trying?

[>>Fast forward: 1 min>>]

"Ah...Alright, that's th-the end of the concert! Goodnight, all!"

Immediately she felt Hayato's laugh. PAFF stood up and pretended to start packing. _What if I disappoint them?_  
That thought prevented her from pretending for long. "Ha...j-just joking. We have plenty left to go! Probably until midnight!"

"Kaori does this for every performance we do. It's normal," Hayato added. _Thank you_ , she thought to him. Not that he was telepathic.

_i̷̧̯͍̼͖͓̪̞͍̥̿̒̓̓̄̓͌̂͊̓̾̄L̵̹͖̺̼̳͎̝̹͕̜̖̊̃̾͂̽̑͘͝͠_

_What...was that?_ PAFF rubbed her temples. It hurt. But...it was only a split-second image. She couldn't recall it at all.

"A-anyway...Next, we have the first and definitely the worst song I've ever written...as Aroma or Kaori. Blossoms for Life, here we...oh, even th-the name is so..." She visibly cringed. "S-sing along! Or, or scream along. I...don't mind."

PAFF smirked at Hayato, who smiled back. "Let's go," she said.

_"Hold their steps, passersby  
The stage unfolds by the roadside  
perfect hue and light, you and I~  
Just like butterflies,  
perfect hue and light~"_

And, just like that, the audience began singing the chorus...or screeching the chorus.

_"BLOSSOMS FOR LIFE~  
YE WE DO, WE DID AND WE WILL  
CATCH EVERYONE'S EYES,  
COLOUR DEM BRIGHT~"_

It was a choir of the earliest song she'd ever sang, yelling the beautiful, cringe-inducing words, filling the neighbourhood. She was terrified from beginning to end, but this was a commitment. And everyone had made the choice. As much as every cell in her body wanted to, she couldn't back down now.

And it was fucking magnificent.

[>>Fast forward: 4 hours>>]

"And...I think that's it!" PAFF spoke softly, putting Hayato's guitar back in its case. "I-I think I need to go home now. Ah...so...tired."

"No. Kaori, I'm walking you home. I'm not going to lose you again."

"Th-this is Node 08, Hayato-kun! Also, strangers aren't allowed to go into my residence... You can take me to Clara's or Neko's house, if, if you know where it is...

"Alright."

There was a rustling of leaves as Hayato moved in front of her. "Kaori."

PAFF suddenly realised.  
_Oh. Well this...  
__But Hayato, you're my brother. What are you...?_

Hayato took PAFF's hands tightly, and PAFF couldn't bring herself to move or to say no.

"Kaori. Where are you? I miss you."

 _Kaori never saw him that way.  
_ _You're going to let him down though. Don't say anything. It'll be...  
But please, Hayato. Can't you see me? Can't you see my face right now?_

"Don't worry, don't be scared, Kaori. It'll be alright," he said, but she only felt a feeling of repulsion. But he closed his eyes, and slowly moved closer. He felt warm, but not in a way that was pleasant.

 _Hayato...stop.  
_ _Please stop. I can't do this.  
_ _I know I'm a coward.  
_ _But please. Don't. Just~ stop moving, please._

He was only a few centimetres away, and she felt her eyes get watery. PAFF's hands were still, her arms were still, her face and lips were still.

_I hate you for this, but I hate myself more for not reciprocating._  
_Please. Please, change your mind. Don't kiss me, please, stop. I know you can't read my mind or anything, but..._

_I'm sorry._

_I really am sorry._

When they touched, there were already tears leaking from the inner corner of her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. I know it's been months since the last update.  
> And, well, I know that my writing isn't very good, so thank you for sticking till Chapter 3. 
> 
> In all honesty tho, if you are in PAFF's situation, SAY NO. You have to speak up, and believe me. You aren't letting anyone down.
> 
> If you liked the fic so far, kudos is optional. Though, I will still update (only every 5 years tho), so look out!


End file.
